SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Early Monday morning, The Johnson Group’s American Credit Acceptance and Habitat for Humanity of Spartanburg raised the first wall for a new home.
The organizations will spend close to 2,000 volunteer hours building a much needed home for Esther Vargas and Domingo Villegas.
The couple are retired and have been living in a mobile home with issues: interior structural damage and electrical and plumbing issues.
Vargas’ son, Pablo Ortega, said being a retired older couple, buying a house was a finance they couldn’t afford. But, having looked into Habitat for Humanity of Spartanburg, it initially sounded too good to be true.
Ortega said now, he just can’t believe how happy his family is.
“It makes me feel pretty good. It actually makes me feel really proud. I mean looking at the wall getting up,” Ortega said,” It actually makes me really proud of them, and us, and everybody else.”
Vargas and Villegas will complete 350 hours of “sweat equity”.
This means that the couple will have to volunteer on other Habitat homes, as well as, attend financial management and home maintenance classes.
Ortega said that won’t be a problem.
The single-family home will stand on the 500 block of North Forest Street as part of the Northside Initiative. This is the third Habitat home built in the Northside Community.
Habitat’s Executive Director, Lee Closer, said it’s all about helping families get a leg up, while also improving the community.
” We know there’s a great need for affordable housing within the community. There’s no where near enough of it. We’re part of that solution and we try to work as hard as we can to help families who are really working hard to help themselves,” Lee said.
The Johnson Group has provided full sponsorship, $70,000 dollars, to build the home. Closer said they appreciate every sponsor that helps families uplift themselves.
If you’d like to learn more about how Habit for Humanity of Spartanburg helps, or if you’d like to learn how to help the nonprofit, click here.
